|
Drinks
Wine
Beer
Brandy
Coffee
Diy Beer
Gin
Tea
Glasses
|
Wine has been used for at least 5,000 years. Egyptian records dating from
2500 BC refer to the use of grapes for winemaking. The first wines seem to
have originated in the Middle East. There are frequent references to wine in
the Old Testament. Centuries later the role of wine for sacramental use in
Christian churches helped maintain the industry after the fall of the Roman
Empire.
Wine is the fermented juice of grapes. Only one species of grape, Vitis
vinifera, is used for nearly all the wine made in the world. From this
species as many as 4,000 varieties of grape have been developed. These
varieties differ from each other, though sometimes only slightly, in size,
colour, shape of the berry, juice composition, ripening time, and resistance
to disease. Of the 4,000 or more varieties, only about a dozen are commonly
used for winemaking around the world.
The main varieties are
- Riesling
- Chardonnay
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Pinot Noir
- Gewurztraminer
- Sauvignon
- Blanc
- Muscat.
Wines are also made from fruits other than grapes. Fermented apple cider is
considered a wine. Perry is produced from pears. There are also cherry
wines, plum wines, and wines made from various berries.
Wine Classifications
- Table wines
- fortified wines
- sparkling wines
This classification depends on the techniques of production, called
vinification. Winemaking is called enology (or oenology), from the Greek
words for wine and study. The term vintage signifies a single season's wine
production, usually referring to the specific location in which a particular
wine is produced.
Table wines
Table wines are made from juice that is pressed from the grape. The juice is
allowed to ferment naturally, sometimes with the addition of controlled
amounts of sugar and yeast. Table wines come in three basic colours: white,
yellow, red or pink.
Fortified wines
These wines receive an extra dosage of alcohol, usually a grape brandy, at
some point in their production. The alcohol content of fortified wines is
higher than that of table wines, ranging from 14 to 23 percent. Colours may
be white, amber, bright red, or dark red.
Sherry is the best known and most popular of the fortified wines. Its name
comes from the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Spain. Sherry's unique
qualities come from the soil and grapes of Jerez as well as from a
distinctive vinification process. The flavour of sherry ranges from very
sweet to very dry, with several intermediate varieties.
Other fortified wines include Madeira, from the Portuguese, Marsala, from
Sicily, Malaga, from the south of Spain; Port, from Portugal...
Sparkling wines
The best known sparkling wine is champagne, named from the region of France
where it was first made in the 18th century by a Benedictine monk named Dom
Pierre Perignon. Asti Spumante is an Italian sparkling wine. Sparkling wines
are usually white, but may be red or rose.
Sparkling wines go through a double fermentation, the second of which
takes place in the bottle. Sugar and yeast are added in the second
fermentation to produce carbon dioxide gas, which builds up the pressure
inside the bottle; then the yeast is removed. Champagnes are blends of wine
from different grapes.
Americano
- 2 oz. Sweet Vermouth
- 2 oz. Campari
- Club soda
- Orange twist
Mix alcohol in a mixing glass with ice and strain into an old fashioned
glass. Fill with several ice cubes and club soda with an orange twist.
Champagne Napolean
- 1/2 oz. Grand Marnier
- 1/2 oz. Curacao
- 1/2 oz. Maraschino liqueur
- Champagne
Mix ingredients with ice in a mixing glass and strain into a chilled
champagne flute. Fill with cold champagne
Sherry Twist
- 3 oz. Amontillado
- 1 oz. Cognac
- 1 oz. Dry Vermouth
- 1/2 oz. Curacao
- Several dashes Lemon Juice
- Pinch Cinnamon
Mix ingredients with ice in a shaker and pour into a chilled Delmonico
glass, topping with cinnamon.
Wine Lemonade
- Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1/2 oz. Sugar syrup
- 5 oz.Wine
- Club Soda
- Lemon Slice
Dissolve syrup in lemon juice in a collins glass. Fill with wine and club
soda. Garnish with lemon slice. |
